Gate.



N0. 628,0!3. Patented July 4, I899.

' S. W. MARTIN.

GATE.

:Application filed July 2, 1897.) (No Madel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No; s2a,ms. v Patented July 4, I899.

s w. MARTIN.

GATE.

' (Application filgd July 9, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

awdewbo Hmeom z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SCHUYLER WM. MARTIN, OF SAILORS REST, TENNESSEE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,013, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed July 2, 1897.

10 Ml whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SCHUYLER WM. MAR- TIN, of Sailors Rest, in the county of Montgomery and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to gates; and it consists, essentially, of automatic gravitating devices operating to open the gate after the latch has been released.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and the arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to construct a gate that will automatically open to permit the passage therethrough of teams and rise to such a position as to be out of the way, and thereby prevent lateral obstructions, which occur in the use of swinging gates.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved gate. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the gate, shown open. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the gate, showing the change in the construction of the parts and as having the gravitating weights carried directly by the turn-bar. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the gate proper, showing the position and operation of the supplemental gate therewith. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the striker or latch plates.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates two uprights or posts having their upper ends slotted and movably receiving a turn-bar 2, which is recessed to form bearings, as at 3, and also to prevent endwise movement of the said bar. On the inner side of the posts or uprights 1 eppositely-disposed reversely-arranged strikerplates 4 and 5 are -secured,each of which is provided with a. notch or recess 6. recess 6 in the striker-plate 4 stands upwardly, while that in the striker-plate 5 is on the under side, and the said striker-plate 5 is arranged at such a level as to bring the lower The said Serial No. 6%,260. (No model.)

edge thereof nearly in line with the upper edge of the said striker-plate 4.

As shown by Fig. 1, extended gate bars or uprights 7 are connected to the turnbar 2 and depend a suitable distance below the same and have upper and lower cross-bars 8 and 9, which form the gate proper, and the latter may be either provided with pickets,

wire runners, as shown, or barbed wire. In

fact, any suitable form of closure usually employed in such devices may be used. Near one of the gate-bars 7 a vertical bar 10 is situated, and thereto, as-well as to the gate-bar 7, are secured guides 11, in which is movably mounted a supplemental gate 12, preferably of rectangular form and having openings in one side adapted to aline with openings 13, formed in the one guide 11, to hold the said supplemental gate at various elevations in open position to permit the passage therethrough of small animals, varying in size. The main gate has an open space, which is occupied by the said supplemental gate, and the said supplemental gate has a series of cross-wires arranged therein, as shown; but it will be understood that pickets or other devices may be used.

Pivotally mounted on the bar 10 is alatchbar 33, having opposite reduced ends 14, which are reversely arranged and are adapted to engage the striker-plates 4 and 5. The

outer ends of the said latch-bar 33 are movable in metallic loops 15, and, as shown in Fig. 1, a spring-arm 16 bears upon one end of the said latch-bar, said spring-arm beingheld at a suitable angle by an adjacent portion of the gate. Movably connected to the outer end of the latch-bar is a wire loop 17 or analogous device, having cords, chains, or similar devices 18 connected to the free ends thereof and extended upward'through guides 19 on the sides of the turn-bar 2 and then over a pulley or sheave 20, mounted in the adjacent gate-bar 7. The said cords 18 are extended outward from the gate in opposite directions to any suitable distance and may travel over sheaves or other supporting devices and depend at their ends within convenient reaching distance of drivers or teamsters and also of a person on horseback.

As shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the upper ex= tended ends of the gate bars or uprights 7 are connected by a cross-bar 21, and to the outer ends thereof are loosely attached rods 22, which are provided with Weights 23, sufiicient to counterbalance the gate and turn-bar 2 and hold the same open after the latch-bar 33 has been released. come in contact with the ground and prevent the gate and its attachments from turning over too far when open, and pivotally attached to the upper end of one of the gateposts 7 and movable in a slot adjacently formed in the upper edge of the bar 21 is a lever 24, arranged to cross said bar and to which the cords, chains, or analogous devices 18 may be secured instead of being passed over the pulley 20, heretofore set forth.

As shown by Fig. 3, the upper extensions of the gate-posts 7, together with the crossbar 21, maybe dispensed with, and arms 25 may be mounted in the outer ends of the turnbar 2, having extending therefrom supports 26 with pendent rods 27, to which counterpoise-weights 28 are attached to secure the gravitating action of the gate and the counterbalancing of the same in a manner similar to the construction heretofore set forth. In this instance also the latch-bar is weighted at one end, as at 29, and the engaging springarm is therefore dispensed with and the sheave 20 or the lever 24 is brought down on the top of the turn-bar and supported in direct connection therewith.

In operation one end of the cord, chain, or similar device 18 is operated on one side of the gate in accordance with the direction of travel, and the latch-bar 13 is released, thus permitting the counterbalancing-weights to throw the gate upward by moving the turnbar2. After passage through the gate it is closed from the opposite side by pulling on the oppositely-extending cord 18, said cords passing over suitable guide pulleys (not shown) for facilitating the operation.

It will be understood that the turn-bar will be high enough above the ground to permit a a heavily-loaded team to pass freely thereunder.

The supplemental gate is especially beneficialin separating stock for feeding purposes and may be raised a short distance to permit hogs or similar animals to pass thereunder and at the same time prevent larger animals from going through, and thus provide means for conveniently dividing stock and permitting them to pass from one field into another. The said supplemental gate can be raised to various heights to accommodate different sizes of animals or, if desired, it can be used by pedestrians without operating the larger gate.

The materials of which the several parts of the gate are formed may be varied to suit the application, and also the dimensions may be changed, and it is obvious that many minor The weights on said rods 22 changes in the details-of: construction and ar- 2. A gate having upwardly-extending bars secured to a horizontal turn-barjournaled in the gate-posts, in combination with pivotallysuspended counterbalancing-weights connected to said turn-bar for swinging the gate upward, a pivoted latch-bar,-and means for releasing said latch-bar operating in connection with the weights for opening the gate.

3. A gate suspended from ahorizontal turnbar journaled in the gate-posts, in combination with weights pivotally suspended from arms on said turn-bar, a pivoted latch-bar, cords connected to said latch-bar and crossing the plane of the turn-bar to be operated from opposite sides thereof for releasing the latch-bar and bringing the pi votally-suspended weights into operation for raising the gate by their gravity, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a gate suspended from a turn-bar journaled in the gate-posts, of pivotally suspended weights connected with said bar for swinging the gate upward, a latch-bar, cords connected to said latch-bar and crossing the plane of the turn-bar, a pivoted support for said cords arranged above said bar, for the purpose and substantially as described.

5. The combination with a gate, of the upwardly-extending side bars 7, the horizontal turn-bar 2, to which said side bars are connected, journaled near its ends in the gateposts, the weights suspended on rods pivotally connected with arms secured to said turnbar, a latch-bar pivoted on the gate, a keeper on the gate-post for said latch-bar, and cords for releasing said latch-bar arranged to cross over the turn-bar to be operated each from the opposite side of the gate from its point of attachment to the latch-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SOIIUYLER WM. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

Mrs. S. W. KELLY, WALTER SATTERFIELD. 

